It has been just revealed the fact that people who have HIV have a higher reinfection rate with COVID-19. Check out the latest reports about the matter below.
People with HIV have a higher COVID-19 reinfection rate
A study conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has revealed that individuals with HIV are more likely to be reinfected with COVID-19 as compared to those without HIV.
The study, published in Emerging Infectious Diseases, examined 453,587 adults in Chicago who had contracted COVID-19. The researchers analyzed the COVID-19 testing outcomes using Chicago’s AIDS and HIV reporting system.
“HIV can compromise the immune system; persons with HIV (PWH), especially those not receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART), might be vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 infection,” the researchers wrote.
“Understanding how COVID-19 affects PWH is important because approximately half of PWH are >50 years of age and have higher rates of medical comorbidities, compared with persons without HIV (PWOH).”
A recent study found that 5.3% of people who previously tested positive for COVID-19 were reinfected. Among them, people with HIV had a higher rate of reinfection, with 6.7% of them being reinfected, compared to 5.2% of people without HIV.
This indicates that regardless of the COVID-19 variant wave and timing, people with HIV consistently have a higher risk of reinfection.
The CDC recommends understanding this risk to tailor future COVID-19 public health guidance.
The authors of the study have suggested getting vaccinated and receiving booster shots as measures to prevent reinfection.
HIV, also known as human immunodeficiency virus, can weaken the immune system by infecting CD4 cells, leading to a drop in white blood cell count.
This attack on the immune system can ultimately result in AIDS, or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Several studies have demonstrated that individuals with compromised immune systems are at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19.
We suggest that you check out the official data presented by CDC in order to learn more details about the matter.
